The use of acrylamide terminated polyethylene glycol in the preparation of cross-linked polymers has been described in International Patent Application No. WO 93/16118 and UK 9609911.4. Such polymers have a particular use as solid supports for the synthesis of peptides, oligonucleotides or oligosaccharides or as substrates for the immobilisation of proteins or as chromatographic resins. They are completely swelled in water and can also used for solid phase enzyme assays. Whilst the polymers so produced were particularly useful as supports for polypeptide synthesis the elimination of the labile bonds in the backbone of the polymer matrix and replacement with more chemically inert bonds allow them to be used as supports for carrying out a large diversity of organic reactions.
Whereas all previously described PEG-based resins are quite labile to harsh and generally used reaction conditions such as acetic anhydride and Lewis acid, thionyl chloride, butyllithium or potassium hexamethyldisilazan, a polymer containing only stable primary ether bonds in addition to CH and CC bonds would be completely stable under those conditions.
With the above requirements in mind we have now developed a series of macromonomers of oxethane or vinylphenylpropyl ether terminated polyethylene and polypropylene glycols from which cross-linked resins may be prepared in which the labile bonds in previously described PEG-based polymers are replaced by stable ether linkages whilst retaining the optimised balance of hydrophilic-hydrophobic character.